A meeting of the Centro de Estudios Mexicanos (CEM) launched by Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) was held on Jan 11.

He Jing, director of the International Exchange and Cooperation Office at BFSU presided over the meeting, which was conducted online and offline.

The BFSU–UNAM Online Meeting is held online and offline on Jan 11. [Photo provided to bfsu.edu.cn]

Zhao Gang, a member of the standing committee of the CPC BFSU committee and vice-president of the university, thanked Guillermo Pulido, former director of the CEM, and his colleagues for their hard work over the past decade and congratulated Adalberto Noyola on his appointment.

Zhao noted that BFSU-UNAM cooperation has enjoyed a long history with fruitful achievements. The CEM led by Pulido has promoted educational and cultural exchanges between the two universities and enhanced China-Mexico ties since its establishment.

Zhao said he hopes Pulido will continue to support BFSU’s development in his new position and wished the CEM a bright future under the leadership of Noyola. 

Noyola said he has served as the director of the Institute of Engineering at UNAM and visited China several times, adding that he has learned about China's rapid development and remarkable achievements in multiple fields and is confident about the prospects of BFSU-UNAM cooperation.

Chang Fuliang, dean of the Department of Hispanic and Portuguese at BFSU, welcomed Noyola and thanked UNAM for supporting Spanish teaching and research in China. He affirmed the outstanding contributions the CEM has made in Sino-Mexican exchanges and language education. 

Chang said he is looking forward to witnessing greater accomplishments in faculty construction, talent training and Latin American studies based on the collaboration among BFSU, UNAM and the CEM.

Guillermo Pulido, former director of the CEM, speaks at the BFSU–UNAM Online Meeting on Jan 11. [Photo provided to bfsu.edu.cn]

Pulido expressed his deep gratitude to Zhao and his colleagues, saying that in the future, he will maintain close contact with BFSU and keep facilitating exchanges between the two universities in his new post as director of the CEM in Chicago. 

Pulido presented BFSU with a special issue of En el ombligo de la luna, an electronic journal founded by the CEM, which covers BFSU’s achievements in the past 80 years since its establishment. 

He also presented an honorary medal on behalf of the rector of UNAM. The medal is a replica of the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities conferred to the university in 2009 in recognition of its engagement in inter-school cooperation.

The Centro de Estudios Mexicanos opened on Nov 22, 2012 at BFSU. It is Mexico’s first official organization for cultural exchanges and academic research in China and Asia, which aims at introducing Mexico's history, art, social conditions and sci-tech development to China and conducting studies on bilateral relations between the two countries. 

BFSU has planned to hold international academic seminars with the CEM, advance joint master’s programs for Latin American Studies, develop characteristic lectures, launch ELE teacher training projects and strengthen cooperation with universities in Latin America within the framework of the Global Alliance of Foreign Studies Universities.

Representatives from BFSU, UNAM and the CEM attend the BFSU–UNAM Online Meeting on Jan 11. [Photo provided to bfsu.edu.cn]